Black and White Lies
by Sailorjj07
Summary: With a major assignment from her boss, journalist Estellise Sidos goes undercover to gather information about the infamous Yuri Lowell, a modern-day Robin Hood. In order to get in his good graces, Estelle has to change her identity and maybe even herself. It begins with a false name, but when will it end? Read and Review !
1. Chapter 1

Black and White Lies

By: Sailorjj07

1. Chapter 1

A/n: Please stick with me till the end! I'll probably switch Points of View, though it shouldn't happen too often.

Disclaimer: I do not own!

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

**Actions**

(Me!)

I never realized how easy it would be to lie. I was always the kind of person that was honest; the type that told the truth, no matter how awful it was. It was instilled in me from a young age because, as my Father always said, it's just the right thing to do. But Dad is wrong. Sometimes a lie is the only thing between you and complete failure. Sometimes a lie is the only thing you can say, because the truth is dangerous. Because the truth could leave you open and vulnerable and terribly, terribly alone.

...I never knew how easy it was to lie.

Or how hard it would be to stop.

"Estelle, that was a great piece you wrote about the elementary school! I'm sure a lot of parents will cut it out and stick it on their fridge!"

I shook myself out of my thoughts as a co-worker gave me a small pat on the back. The sounds of the newsroom filled my ears, as I spun in my chair to face the woman who had stopped to talk to me. Nearby reporters spoke loudly, in the middle of phone interviews and I could hear the steady whir of the printer across the room. This was normal at The Daily Arte, Zaphias' newspaper. I gave a small smile to the woman standing in front of me, wondering about her in the back of my mind. How had someone for the advertising department managed to wander to this side of the newsroom in the first place?

"Oh, thank you. It was wonderful to be around the kids."

"Haha, I don't know very many people who can say that! Always the perfect ISD reporter, aren't you?" My coworker teased, waving as she walked away from me. I sighed and sunk into my chair. I never quite understood why people thought that kids were so terrible in the first place. If they were so bad, why on Earth did they bother having them? I truly loved my job, anyways.

A small group of reporters waved at me as my Editor-in-Chief walked up to my desk. Mary Kaufman had beautiful maroon colored hair, perfectly shaped eyebrows and a stride that left men standing with their mouths open. She was also demanding, always professional, and the best reporter I had ever met in my life. She was everything I wish I could be, though I knew I couldn't. We just had two very different ways of doing things.

"Estelle." She stopped in front of my desk with her arms crossed and I immediately stood up, trying to school my features. Kaufman was a very pleasant woman and she certainly wasn't cruel. By why did the look on her face make me pause? Something was up.

"Hello Kaufman. Is there anything I can do for you?" Was that my voice? Was it shaking? Oh God, I hope not.

She wasted no time, sparing the formalities and pleasantries, "How would you like to work on the biggest story of your life?"

"I... What?"

Kaufman only lifted an arched eyebrow, waiting for my response.

"Well, yes! Of course I would! What is it?"

Kaufman's dark eyes looked around us before she turned on her heel and beckoned me to follow her, "Let's talk in my office."

I nodded slowly and followed the woman, ignoring the odd looks from my peers. Hopefull, no rumors surfaced from this little walk.

"Have a seat." I plopped down in the chair I was offered and waited for Kaufman to say more. She leaned against her desk in front of me, arms crossed, as her glasses fell to the bridge of her nose. "Estelle, you are the perfect person for this job. But in order for you to do it, you'll have to... be discreet."

I tilted my head curiously, a bit unsure of her words, "Discreet?"

"Yes," Kaufman hiked herself up on her desk, crossing her legs and pushing her glasses higher up on her face, "We have reason to believe that the infamous Yuri Lowell is recruiting for his... business. I want you to go in there, undercover, and get us a story. I want to write a piece about our city's very own Robin Hood. People should see the world through the eyes of the handsome, bold Yuri Lowell."

My heart jumped in my throat. THE Yuri Lowell? Leader of Mira Vesperia? Surely, she couldn't possibly want me to do something as dangerous as that!

"K-Kaufman, are you... you're serious about this?" I had to talk some sense into my boss. She wanted me to infiltrate a... gang?! This was a group of people who took valuables from the rich, killed for money, and partied until the sun came up. There was no way I could just walk up and ask for quotes!

"As serious as ever. And you are the perfect person for the job." Kaufman leaned forward and focused her clear gaze on me. I stared back, as my heart pounded in my ears, "I won't give this chance to anyone else. It has to be you."

"B-But why? I'm sure there are others that know how to go about this, right? What about our crime reporter?"

Kaufman shook her head, a slight smile curling on her lips, "It has to be you, Estelle. You don't judge people by appearance. You observe them, take them in and THEN you form an opinion. That's so rare. No one on this team comes close to you. Trust me on this. You will grow so much as a writer! This might even get you off of the school district beat."

"But I love writing about the school district!" The exclamation sounded weak even to my ears.

"Estelle, listen to me. I can promise you that this will put your name out there across the country. Imagine the amazing awards you'd receive for shedding light on the life of a criminal! Imagine how many people could actually begin to like him once they realize that Mira Vesperia is still a group of humans. You, yourself, know the power of a human interest piece."

"Of course I do. But Kaufman, this is dangerous. This is an area of life that I've never explored before."

"And that's why I want you to do it. Because you'll be the eyes and ears of the uninitiated world. And it shouldn't be too dangerous. Aren't you friends with that cop? What was his name again...? Sci-something..."

"Detective Scifo? Flynn is not going to help me out if I do this. He'd likely arrest me!"

Kaufman shrugged, "I doubt that very much. He's totally into you."

I felt a rush of red flood my cheeks, but I ignored it for more... life-preserving protests, "Kaufman, I can't."

"You can and you will. Estelle, this is a chance to be a new person. To see parts of yourself that perhaps even you didn't know about. All I'm saying is that this is the chance of a lifetime. I can't do it. No one else on the team can either. It HAS to be you."

I heaved a loud sigh. I hadn't intended to, but there was no way I could keep a straight face about this. I can't possible do something this crazy. I just can't! My eyes scanned Kaufman's office, looking for some sort of escape. They fell on a glass case full of awards and I found myself counting the number of gleaming golden trinkets. Kaufman had won so many awards for her journalism, something I had never accomplished. Kaufman followed my gaze and grinned with a knowing smile, "Estelle, if you write this piece, I promise you that one of these will be yours. You don't even have to mention your own name."

"My parents would be... really proud if I got an award like this."

"And just think of the people that you would be helping! Wouldn't it be wonderful if the members of Mira Vesperia were treated well by society after this piece comes out?"

I nodded wordlessly, working everything over in my mind. I could win an award for this and it'd look great on my résumé.

And really, when was the last time I partied till dawn?

I looked down at my hands with unseeing eyes. The answer to that question was clear. Never. I had never partied hard. I had never done anything "bad". Ever. I had never even told a little white lie before.

After a few more moments of weighing my options, I smiled at Kaufman, "All right. I'll do it."

Kaufman smiled, clapping her hands together, "Awesome! I'll give you all the information and then you can go get ready for tonight."

"T-tonight?"

"Mira Vesperia is throwing a party at a club downtown. It'll be your first chance to get in with the group."

I fought the urge to sigh again. There was no way that this was going to be easy.

**At 3 p.m.**

The school bell chimed loudly just as I pulled in the driveway in front of Zaphias Middle School. I tapped my fingers to the beat of the music pouring from my car's stereo, while waiting for Patty Fleur to find me. To some, our relationship was as a mother and daughter, but I knew better. Patty was like the little sister I never had. As an only child, I had never known what it was like to have siblings. As a result, I volunteered for a mentoring program that was geared towards helping out the children of single mothers. Patty's mom had agreed to let me pick up her daughter from school everyday and it was such a joy for me to do so.

"Estelle~!" I smiled as I caught sight of Patty's beautiful blonde hair. She waved in greeting to me and I returned it with a small wave as she ran towards my car.

"Hey Patty! Get in," I unlocked the door and Patty hopped in, while waving goodbye to some friends that were still waiting for their parents. We drove off as Patty shifted around in her seat, digging into her backpack and pulling out a bunch of teen fashion magazines.

"Operation Transformation starts right now! Are we going to the mall?" Patty asked, a wide grin spreading from ear to ear.

"Of course. I really have no idea what I need to buy for this... event."

"Haha! Estelle, is it really an event? People go to parties all the time!" Patty looked at me closely, lifting a delicate eyebrow, "Then again, it's you. Never mind."

Patty giggled to herself as I pouted, though it was all in good nature, "I am not that boring!"

"Hahaha. Estelle, you read books for fun! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but let's just be honest."

"Oh, whatever." I retorted, glaring at Patty out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh, don't pout! It'll be really fun! I get to dress you up!"

I fought the urge to sigh, and simply followed the flow of traffic. Today was going to be a very long day after all.

We arrived to the mall in about 30 minutes, with Patty flipping through her magazine collection and telling me everything she thought would be helpful during this shopping trip. I helped her out of the car, taking the magazines from her hand and placing a few in my tote bag. After all, I had no idea what I was doing.

"Estelle, I'm sure we can find someone to help us get you ready."

"Probably, but it's… Ah, I don't know how to explain it."

"Embarrassing?"

"Exactly." I felt heat rush to my cheeks for the second time that day, but for an entirely different reason. I really had no idea what outfit I would need to draw the attention of the great Yuri Lowell. I didn't even know what kind of person he was!

"Well don't worry! Patty the Great will help you!" I laughed as Patty drug me into the first women's clothing store she found.

**At 9 p.m.**

Many hours later, I was parking my car along the street, in a somewhat shady part of town. I applied a fresh coat of lipstick (yuck) and pulled on the tiny hemline of my dress. I wish I had worn a coat or something to cover up the tiny thing that Patty called "the ultimate party dress". It was white, off the shoulder, and super short, stopping at an area near my upper thigh.

I stepped out of the car, making sure I had my keys and a tiny clutch under my arm. I glanced in the mirror one last time, before crossing the street and getting in line.

"Here goes…."

"Geez, Estelle, don't look so terrified. You'd think someone was sending you to court or something."

I blinked, shocked to hear my name in this area, and also very, very worried. If someone knew my name already, how was I supposed to avoid talking about the real reason I came here? I immediately spun around and grinned at the sight of blue hair and tan skin, "K-Khroma! What on Earth are you doing here?"

Khroma was much taller than I, with a beautiful complexion and bright green eyes. She wore a tight purple dress that had a deep V-neck cut in the front. Sparkly black and purple heels completed her outfit.

"Shhhhhh, keep it down, would you?" Khroma looked around us as if on edge, before she stepped closer to me. She jumped up and draped her arms around me my neck, squealing as if she had chanced upon her best friend, "OH MY GOSH! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE! How are you?!"

When she was sure no one was watching us any longer, she remained leaning on me and whispered in my ear, "I'm here to help you out. Kaufman told Flynn what she was planning and he immediately ran to me for help. He's very shocked that you even agreed to this little adventure."

"But won't someone recognize you?"

"Well no. The joys of being a mere secretary, I suppose. And if they do, my cousin has promised to help me… distract them." Khroma winked and I giggled loudly, before her words hit me like a ton of bricks.

"C-Cousin?"

"Yes, my cousin. You'll meet her once we get inside." And just as Khroma mentioned getting inside of the club, we reached the front of the line. She took my hand and led me in, as I gave a brief smile to the bouncer at the door. In no time we stepped inside of the dark club, with only the neon lights of the bar and strobe lights to pave our way. I looked around us at all the bodies pressed together, as the base pounded in my ears. Everywhere I looked there were people dancing and drinking, some smoking cigarettes while lounging in black leather chairs.

"Do you see him?" Khroma asked loudly, standing next to me. I shook my head softly and she nodded her head towards the front of the room. I followed her gaze and it was like… everything stood still. Time stopped as my heart slammed to a screeching halt in my chest.

There he was. Yuri Lowell.

He sat on a black leather couch in the VIP section, right next to the DJ booth. Confidence and masculinity rolled off of him, practically in tangible waves. I wasn't sure how I had missed him at all. It was certainly hard to ignore his presence now.

He had a curvy blue haired woman sprawled across his lap and his violet eyes were scanning the room as if he didn't even notice her. His beautiful, long raven hair cascaded over his shoulders as he leaned forward, soft and sleek in its appearance. He whispered something into the woman's ear and she sat up, a sensual giggle erupting from her perfect mouth. He stood up and I took in his long, lean legs, sporting a pair of tailored black slacks and an unbuttoned gray dress shirt. He walked over to speak briefly with a man who sat on the arm of the leather couch, before going back to his seat. With the girl gone from his lap, he crossed his legs, scanning the room once again. All of a sudden, his eyes fell right on me.

My breath caught in my throat and panic gathered in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't lie to someone like that! How on Earth was I supposed to pull this off?

A smirk spread across his lips, as if he had heard my thoughts and he motioned for me to come over to him. I wasn't sure if it was my nerves or the come hither look on his face, but I couldn't stop the butterflies that grew with each step towards that man. Khroma walked with me, tugging my arm in an effort to slow me down.

"Calmly. Slowly. Make him wait for it." She grinned at me, and I couldn't even return the gesture; I was just too nervous. I gave her a small, nerve-wracked smile as we walked forward. The blue haired woman who had been draped all over Yuri stood at the top of the staircase, peering down at us. Her eyes softened with recognition and she took Khroma's arm as soon as we got to the top step, "Cousin! I'm glad you could get some time off today."

"Haha, Judith, I haven't seen you in a such a long time; I had to come hang out."

The woman named Judith smiled, before regarding me with an uplifted eyebrow, "And who might you be?"

"I-I'm…" I paused. If I gave them my real name, would they know that I was a reporter? Would Khroma tell her cousin that I was lying? After a nudge from Khroma, I realized I was still staring at Yuri, who's smirk was growing by the second. I turned and faced Judith as a rush of heat flooded my cheeks and looked down at my feet in embarrassment, "I'm Celeste."

"Celeste, huh? Why'd it take you so long to answer? Do you not know your own name?"

I shook my head, laughing, though it sounded hollow even to me, "Oh no. I was just… so surprised that you guys would let us come up here."

"Yeah, well, that wasn't really my choice." I watched as Judith rolled her eyes, just as Yuri walked up and placed his hand on her shoulder. That delicious smirk was still on his face as he regarded both Khroma and I with an uplifted eyebrow.

"You two sure took your time getting up here." He grinned wolfislyh in my direction, before turning his gaze to Judith, "Judy, do you know these two ladies?"

"Yes. This is my cousin, Khroma, and her friend here is Celeste."

"Celeste, huh?" He looked me over from head to toe and for the second time that day, I cursed the short dress that Patty had made me wear today. Why, oh why, did I agree to wearing this tiny thing? "And do you ladies know who I am?"

"Of course we do. Everyone in this club knows who you are." Khroma responded, as her cousin took hold of her arm.

"Yuri, stop bothering them. Khroma, Celeste, let's go get a drink." Judy set off down the stairs with Khroma in tow, but Yuri grabbed hold of my arm. I bit on my bottom lip and turned around to face his beautiful eyes.

"Not you. I have some questions for you."

I gulped loudly, and let him lead me to the leather couch he had occupied earlier. The man on the edge of the couch gave me a small wave and went back to watching the crowd.

"Ummmmm… what is it that you want to ask me?" I fidgeted nervously under his scrutiny, wringing my hands together.

"Have I seen you before? You seem really familiar to me."

Ooh no! I coughed loudly, and fought the look of panic that was spreading across my face. Instead, I plastered on my best smile and hoped it looked genuine, "Today is the first time I've ever met you, Yuri Lowell."

He looked contemplative, regarding me as if his clear eyes could see through my lie, "Are you sure about that? I really feel like I've seen you before."

I shook my head firmly, and hoped that my eyes didn't betray me, "Nope, never."

Yuri sighed, leaning back on the couch and putting his hands behind his head, "You're probably right. I think I would remember such pretty pink hair." He looked over and winked at me, as a blush stained my cheeks again.

"Ah, t-thank you."

He nodded as if to say "you're welcome" and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. I sat, waiting for more, hoping he wouldn't have a sudden revelation about where he'd possibly seen me before, but he didn't. Instead, he poured two shots of vodka and held one out for me.

"So Celeste… Do you drink?"

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Black and White Lies

By: Sailorjj07

2. Chapter 2

A/N: Back again, I see! I'm just trucking along! There will be a few POV switches in this chapter, so try to stay with me guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

**Actions**

(Me!)

_The wind brushed kisses against my cheeks as I sat, surrounded by flowers. I smiled up at the sky, basking in the bright warm sun, before turning my eyes back down to the soft petals all around me. The breeze was cool but not enough to make me cold. I breathed in the delightful smells that filled the air and stretched out along the ground, not at all worrying about my white dress._

_It was such a beautiful day._

"_Estelle? Where are you?" A masculine voice called from across the field of flowers. I sat up and turned to the voice, waving cheerfully._

"_I'm here!"_

_It only took a few seconds for him to get to me. There was a cheerful smirk that spread across his lips, but for the life of me, I couldn't see his face._

"_Estelle, why'd you run off?" He walked towards me, as warmth filled me from head to toe. He crossed the field in powerful strides, closing the distance between us easily. The man embraced me tightly and I could feel my heart fluttering in my chest._

_Who was this person? What was going on?_

"Ah, I think she's waking up!"

I groaned as the sounds of the room brought me out of my dream. My head ached and I really, really wanted to sleep just a little longer. If only to figure out whom that man was.

"It's about time." The female voice that spoke was a bit further away from the first voice. Were there two people in the room with me?

"Hey! You shouldn't have given her so much to drink in the first place!" This voice wasn't familiar at all. So there were three people in here.

"Don't blame me, Rita! Blame Yuri!" And that was the voice of the person that had woken me up. It must be Raven, the man who was at the club with us as well. I tried to open my eyes, but my body was still trying to get out of the fuzzy haze of sleep.

"Ugh, I swear. You two are supposed to be adults, you know? What the hell..."

"Hey, it's not my fault!"

"Well whatever. Just be glad I decided to come here after school."

I rolled to my side and opened my eyes. There were actually four people in the room, all staring at me. Raven sat in a chair next to the bed I was laying in, while a brown haired girl stood over me with her arms crossed. I could see Judith and Khroma sitting on a loveseat near the wall.

The brown haired girl put her finger in front of my face and moved it from left to right, "Hi Celeste. Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

I nodded, following the motions of her hand, "Yes." I glanced up at the girl's face, and decided to sit up so I can get a better look. As a reward, she flashed a bright light, right into my eyes.

"Ahh!" I squinted against the bright light, feeling a headache form at the back of my brain.

"Sorry, Celeste. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." The flashlight flicked off and the girl glanced down at me. She had a confident and almost overbearing demeanor, but she seemed very calm. And certainly younger than I thought. "Oh, I'm Rita by the way. Rita Mordio."

"Rita? It's very nice to meet you. I'm-"

"She already knows who you are." All eyes turned in the direction of the door, where Yuri Lowell stood, leaning against the doorway. At his heels sat a beautiful, extremely large dog with intelligent eyes. Yuri patted the dog's head absently, and then turned his eyes to mine.

"Hey, you're alive," he said with a warm smile.

I smiled back, not quite sure what he meant by that, "Why wouldn't I be?"

**Yuri's Point of View**

Wow. She really didn't remember anything from yesterday? Surely she remembered drinking too much and passing out?

I chuckled as I turned my gaze to the rest of the people in the room. I could answer her questions later, but right now…

"Let me talk to Sleeping Beauty for a minute, guys." I glanced at the faces around the room, waiting for them to nod their consent and leave. The last person to walk past me was Rita, who lifted a curious eyebrow in my direction.

Before she was completely out the door, Celeste said quickly, "Ah~! It was nice to meet you, Rita! Thank you for checking on me."

Rita paused in the door for a second, and I could see the surprise spreading across her face. A small smile formed there and she waved over her shoulder, closing the door behind her.

And then there were two.

As if reading my thoughts, Repede gave a small bark, looking up at me with his clear eyes. I patted his head again and sat down in the chair that Raven had occupied moments earlier. Celeste watched me with those bright, big green eyes, as if waiting for me to say something.

"So do you remember anything at all, Princess?" I asked, leaning back in the chair. I reminded myself to get something more comfortable later, because really, wooden chairs suck.

"Hmmmm…. Well I remember meeting you at the club. I also remember you offering me a shot of Vodka…"

"A shot? You drank about seven." I chuckled when she visibly winced at the number of shots she had taken.

"Wow, really? Oh man, I must have really been out!" She laughed nervously, a blush of embarrassment blooming on her face, and I found myself smiling with her.

"Well, either you are really stupid, or very, very trusting, because I have never seen a woman get so drunk in front of me."

Celeste was quiet for a moment and then looked at me curiously, "Why would you say something like that? Were you planning on doing something bad to me?" As if she had just thought about that possibility, she adjusted the blanket over her legs, making sure it covered her lap completely.

Like that was really going to stop someone from doing indecent things.

"It's just that, you know, most women that approach me don't exactly have the best intentions in mind." I watched her carefully as I spoke, waiting for some sign that she had those very ideas.

Instead she glanced at me warily, as if she all of a sudden didn't trust me, "But you called me over to you. Wouldn't you be the one with bad intentions?"

"No, I didn't, you-" I paused in mid-sentence. She was right, of course. I had called her over all on my own. I had been curious about her from the moment she walked in. It was impossible to ignore her tight white dress and beautifully pink hair. It was hard to look away from the purity that she wore like a neon sign. The dress fit her well, filled in at all the right places, but it didn't fit her aura. She was too innocent and pure to even be in that dirty little club. She was just too…good.

How was I supposed to ignore that?

"It was your fault," I murmured under my breath, before looking up. She was staring at me with those bright, wide green eyes of her's, and I looked down at Repede just to get away from her gaze.

This girl was so weird.

"So how'd I end up here?" She interrupted my musings with a question and I halted my train of thought to answer her.

"Well…"

**Flashback**

_Celeste leaned her head back and downed a second shot of vodka, licking her lips as if she was savoring the taste._

"_I haven't had a drink in a very long while," she said absently, her eyes looking down at the empty glass. _

_I smirked and poured her a third, "Well, there's plenty to go around."_

_She smiled gratefully and took the third quickly, and from the looks of it, it didn't faze her. She sat the glass down and a lazy smile spread across her face._

_Nope, never mind._

"_So have you been here before?" I leaned back, figuring she didn't want another shot. To my surprise, she gave me a questioning look as she reached toward the vodka bottle. I nodded my assent and she poured herself a fourth, though she didn't drink it._

"_I've actually never been here before. Khroma invited me to come with her to meet up with Judith."_

"_Oh? How do you know Khroma?" I leaned forward, watching her face. Instead of answering me, she took the shot she had poured and swallowed it in one gulp. I could tell that the shots were definitely starting to affect her._

"_Ah, she works with a friend of mine." She looked down at her hands before meeting my gaze. I realized that I liked her green eyed gaze on me. It was pleasant._

"_Oh? Where's that?" I asked, scooting a little closer. It was a little hard to hear her over all the loud music._

"_She's a secretary."_

"_A secretary, huh? I could see that."_

_Celeste nodded back absentmindedly, as she watched people on the dance floor. She quickly poured her sixth shot, downed it quickly, and turned to me. She was certainly drunk, as an adorable, alcohol-induced blush spread across her face. _

"_Do you dance, Yuri Lowell?"_

_I blinked at her. Did I dance? I hadn't in a very long while…_

_Sensing my hesitation, Celeste giggled girlishly, and stood up. She smiled at me and held her hand out to me, "Let's try it, Mr. Lowell."_

_I looked at her in a combination of awe and surprise. Was she really innocent or was she really just that bold? Whatever it was, Celeste had managed to steal my breath from me in mere moments. A part of me felt like there was a lot more at stake than just one dance…_

_I shook those serious thoughts from my mind, while wondering if I had had too much to drink myself. Surely, that's why she had this effect on me… I was drunk._

"_Yuri."_

_She tilted her head in the most curious manner as I took her hand and led her down the stairs, "Huh?"_

"_Call me Yuri."_

**End Flashback**

"So you mean to tell me I passed out after we started dancing? Wow! I remember going out on the floor with you, but after that, everything's kinda…. blank." Celeste looked down at her hands, as if she could force herself to remember and I just patted her shoulder.

"Well, it's not much to worry about. After all, I brought you back safe and alive, didn't I?"

She nodded, awarding me with one of those breathtaking smiles of hers, "You certainly did. Thank you, Yuri."

I nodded, as Repede began to bark and walk towards the door. Both Celeste and I turned towards the door, just as someone began to knock. Finally, the door creaked open. It was Khroma.

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem," she said, and by the serious look on her face, I wondered how bad it was.

"What's going on, Khroma?"

"Well, I went back to the club to get my car and well…. Celeste, they towed your car."

"They what?!"

**Estelle's POV**

I tried to contain my panic. How on Earth was I supposed to get to my car back? And what was I going to do about the towing fee? I could call my parents for money but that would be a horribly long story…

Yuri glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, before turning his back to me and facing Khroma, "I'll take care of it."

Khroma's eyebrow shot up, practically disappearing into her hairline, "You'll… take care of it?"

Yuri shrugged nonchalantly, "Sure. I mean, it's sort of my fault for leaving her car there in the first place, you know?"

"Oh, Yuri, you don't have to do that. I'll just call my parents and-"

"No, really. I'll take care of it. There's no point in getting your family involved." Yuri turned to me with a smirk and gave me a gentle pat on the head, "Won't they yell at you for getting your car towed at a bar? Or for sleeping in a stranger's house?"

Of course they would! But I didn't tell him that.

"T-Thanks." I don't know why I was stuttering in the first place, but I was certainly surprised by all this.

"Thank you very much, Yuri. If that's the case, I'll leave Celeste to you!" Khroma grinned mischievously, pushing past Yuri to hug me around the neck. "Call me if you need anything, Celeste."

I was surprised that Khroma would hug me, but apparently there was another reason so I kept my mouth shut when Khroma leaned towards my ear.

"Things are going good. Don't screw it up," she whispered softly and I gave a brief nod, as she released me.

"S-See you later, Khroma~! I'll call you later, okay?"

"Of course. Bye Mr. Lowell." Khroma waved over her shoulder as she sauntered out of the room, and I released a sigh of relief that I hadn't realized I was holding.

"So, you ready to go pick up your car?" Yuri asked as he turned his gaze to me.

"Sure! But could a clean up a bit first?"

"Of course."

**An Hour Later**

The towing company employee pulled my car up in front of me while I stood there trying to keep my dress from creeping up any higher. Yuri watched me with amusement clear in his eyes, but thankfully, he didn't say anything.

The man handed me my keys, said goodbye and walked away.

"Yuri, I can't thank you enough for helping me out." I gushed, meaning every word I said. "I'll give you all the money back as soon as I can."

"Oh, I don't want your money," he said, as a wolfish grin spread across his face. Yuri stepped into my personal space, and all of a sudden, I was very, very nervous.

I blinked rapidly, trying to still the pounding in my heart as I took a step back towards my car, "W-Well, then how would you like me to repay you?"

He made a show of thinking about it, hooking his index finger under his chin and closing his eyes. All of a sudden, that wolfish grin came back on his face and he snapped his fingers, "Ah~! I have an idea."

'_Oh God….. Is he going to make me his sex slave?'_

A shudder ran through me as his slate colored eyes fell on my face. What was he going to do to me?

**Yuri's POV**

"Would you like to hear it?"

Celeste was so transparent. I could already tell that she was completely unnerved by my words, and I grinned inwardly. It was a good thing that I made her nervous.

Maybe now she would stop trusting me so much.

My gaze flickered to her delicate throat as she swallowed heavily, biting her bottom lip before she spoke, "S-Sure."

"Hmmm…." I said, as I put on the most thoughtful look on my face I could manage, "Well I was thinking you could pay off your debt to me by working for me."

There it was again… that nervous flicker of her bright green eyes as she tried to figure out what I would say next. I grinned harder, if that was even possible.

'_Does she think I'm going to make her do something immoral? …Though I might actually enjoy that...'_

I shook the thoughts from my head and focused on her once again, as her eyes were growing wider by the second.

"W-Work for you? What sort of work do you need me to do?"

"Well, I don't exactly know yet. I have no idea what you're good at."

Her eyes brightened cheerfully, as she clapped her hands together, excitement in her voice, "Oh, I can cook! And sew."

'_Just like a perfect little housewife….Wait, what?'_

"Hahaha, you're so domestic."

"Well, as a child my parents thought it would good to-! Hey, are you being rude right now, Yuri?" Her agitated voice rang out and she crossed her arms over her chest, clearly pouting.

I laughed out loud, trying to tell myself that she didn't have the cutest pout I'd ever seen in my life, "Now why on Earth would I be rude to you? I'm asking you to work for me, remember?"

"Ugh, whatever Yuri~!" The frown on her face grew and she turned her body away from me, giving me a wonderful view of her side profile. As if she could tell exactly what I was looking at, she tugged at the hemline of her dress, as a line of red color kissed her cheeks.

Before I could stop myself, my hands brushed her own away and I invaded her space once again to whisper in her ear, "Leave it. I think it's hot."

The blush staining her cheeks grew to the brightest of reds I had ever seen and she placed a hand on my chest, stepping back into her car door, "T-Thanks." She said, as she diverted her gaze from me.

I chuckled again, and stepped away to give her some space, "So Celeste, are you agreeing to working for me to pay off your debt?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" She gave an exasperated sigh before holding her hand out to me, "You have a deal."

My fingers enclosed around her own, feeling both the firmness of her handshake and the soft, supple smoothness of her skin… just like the rest of her.

"Great! You'll be in charge of taking care of about 6 or 7 people for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Do you think you could handle that?"

"Yes, I can handle it." A breeze blew by and Celeste shivered, though this time it wasn't because of me.

"Oh, I left you standing in the cold this whole time. Do you have a cell phone?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded at me and reached into her little bag and pulled out a pale pink cell phone.

"Give it here. I'll put my number in and you can call me when you get home." Celeste handed the phone and I punched my number in and then saved it under "My Handsome Boss". When I handed it back to her, she giggled loudly as I winked at her. "So you'll call me?"

She nodded obediently and opened her car door. After a thought, she turned back around to face me, "Are there any other rules I should know about?"

"Oh we can talk about those later. Just go home. I'm sure you want to shower," I glanced down at her dress as well, memorizing the beauty of her creamy pale legs unintentionally, "And change."

Her cheeks colored again and she got into the car, slamming the door behind her. I laughed outright as she rolled the window down.

"I'll call you when I get home."

"Drive safely, Princess."

She gave me a mock roll of her eyes as she rolled her window back up, before waving at me and starting her car up. I stepped out of the way as she drove off, waving back slowly. I inhaled deeply, releasing the air out on a sigh as I walked back to my car. I stared down at my hands, remembering the feel of Celeste's hand and her skin where I had touched her thigh.

"What the hell did I just do?"

End Chapter 2


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